[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 140 (Tuesday, September 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H5109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RAISING CONCERNS WITH BIOSECURE BILL
(Mr. AUCHINCLOSS asked and was given permission to address the House
for 1 minute.)
Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to outline my concerns
with H.R. 8333, the BIOSECURE Act, which I voted against last night.
This bill, though well-intentioned, is poorly drafted and shows the
deficit of proper process. The BIOSECURE Act would only apply to
contracts subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation System. That is
the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
This means that while Medicare and commercial-plan beneficiaries
could access the drugs comprehended by the BIOSECURE Act, veterans and
servicemembers could be alienated from treatments and cures that are
available to other Americans. This bifurcation is not only unfair, but
it renders the disincentive to biotechs ineffective.
This legislation also fails to provide due process so that Congress
is not veering into potential bill of attainder challenges. In its
form, the bill is not fit to function and makes no attempt to support a
domestic CDMO or CRO industry.
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